Commerce’s Energy Efficiency and Solar Grants Program is moving
Currently in the Local Government Division, the Energy Efficiency and Solar Grants (EES) program will soon be joining the Energy Division.
The EES program focuses on reducing energy and water costs at state public higher education institutions, local government facilities, state agencies and K-12 public school districts. The program promotes the use of Washington manufactured solar products, including solar modules and inverters. They are awarded through a competitive process and must be used solely for energy and operational cost saving and solar installations.
The new budget SSB6090 provides the program with grants for state public higher education institutions, local government facilities, state agencies and K-12 public school districts:
- $3,675,000 each for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 for grants to be awarded in competitive rounds for operational cost savings improvements,
- $1,750,000 solely for grants that involve the purchase and installation of solar energy systems,
- 1,400,000 solely for energy efficiency improvements for projects in state-owned facilities that repair or replace existing building systems, and
- $500,000 for the resource conservation managers at the department of enterprise services to assist state agencies and school districts to improve energy and other resource efficiency in state-owned facilities.